🗳️ NETANYAHU PRESSES FOR RIGHT-WING UNITY AS WINTER SIGNALS INDEPENDENCE: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Itamar Ben-Gvir to unite electorally with Bezalel Smotrich and said he would invite the two for talks in the coming days.
Ben-Gvir rejected the proposal, accusing Netanyahu of seeking to diminish him. Netanyahu responded that Ben-Gvir was harming the bloc over personal interests, while Ben-Gvir said Netanyahu had previously told him it would be preferable for Winter and Smotrich to run together.
Winter meanwhile declared that his party would recommend only Netanyahu for prime minister but “we don’t work for him.” The accompanying political analysis described Netanyahu’s intervention as the beginning of a pressure campaign after concluding that Winter intends to run independently. Likud sources nevertheless expressed unease, noting that Winter had left some questions unresolved.
Winter also responded to Mansour Abbas by saying that anyone who does not recognize Israel as a Jewish state should not be permitted to serve in the Knesset.
🏛️ EISENKOT CHALLENGES WINTER AND OPPOSES E1 TENDERS: Gadi Eisenkot told Channel 13 that Winter could not serve as defense minister in a government he leads, arguing that Winter had never served in the IDF’s strategic command.
Eisenkot also told Israel Hayom’s Danny Zaken that he opposes issuing construction tenders at this time in the E1 area near Ma’ale Adumim.
The Unity Party separately said chairman Gilad Erdan held a positive meeting with Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz as Erdan intensifies efforts to promote alliances within the unity bloc. Another meeting is expected in the coming days.
👥 LIKUD BUILDS CAMPAIGN TEAM AMID INTERNAL DISPUTES: Netanyahu appointed Neta Molcho, 27, as spokesperson for Likud’s election campaign. Molcho is a graduate of the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, has spent seven years as coalition chairman Ofir Katz’s chief of staff and spokesperson, and participated in the 2020 and 2022 election campaigns.
Netanyahu also appointed Hadar Muchtar, 24, to lead Likud’s youth campaign. Muchtar holds a master’s degree in computer science, served in Unit 8200 and was described by Likud as an opinion leader who could contribute to the campaign.
Ben-Gvir separately informed Muchtar that she would not be included on the Otzma Yehudit slate, saying he values her but believes she should first learn how the Knesset operates before seeking a future parliamentary role.
Internal Likud tensions are also continuing, with Gila Gamliel filing a police complaint alleging that a vote count had been falsified.
📊 CHANNEL 13 AND CHANNEL 14 POLLS SHOW SHARPLY DIFFERENT ELECTORAL PICTURES: A Channel 13 poll places Netanyahu’s Likud at 19 seats, shows Winter failing to cross the electoral threshold and gives the Arab parties a combined 15 seats.
Channel 14, by contrast, gives Likud 31 seats, Yashar 23, Shas 10, Democrats 9, United Torah Judaism 7, Together 7, Otzma Yehudit 7, Hadash-Ta’al-Balad 7, Yisrael Beiteinu 6, Ra’am 5, Religious Zionism 4 and Winter’s Am Yisrael 4.
Channel 14’s bloc calculation gives the right-wing bloc 63 seats, the left bloc 45 and Arab parties 12, placing both Winter and Smotrich at four seats.
Below the threshold in that poll are Zehut at 1.7%, Bayit Tzioni/HaMiluimnikim at 1.1%, Blue and White at 0.4%, HaAchdut at 0.3% and Noam at 0.3%.
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